Clear Crescent on Thursday signals Friday Eid amid dusty weather forecast

2026-03-17 - 19:52

Astronomical expert Adel Yousef Al-Marzouq announced that Eid al-Fitr is expected to fall on Friday, March 20, based on astronomical calculations. He explained that the holy month of Ramadan will complete a full 30 days, noting that sighting the Shawwal crescent on Wednesday evening will be extremely difficult, making it unlikely to be observed, reports Al-Rai daily. However, he added that visibility will be very clear on Thursday evening, March 19, when the crescent is expected to appear larger and easier to detect. Al-Marzouq further clarified that countries which began fasting on February 18 will complete 30 days of Ramadan, while those that started on February 19 will observe 29 days, emphasizing that final confirmation depends on official moon sighting. Meanwhile, Badr Al-Amira, a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, forecasted unstable weather conditions, with thunderstorms expected on Thursday that may continue into Friday morning due to an extending low-pressure system, accompanied by active winds and dust.